Arianna Pristina, For Future Reference: 

The founder of For Future Reference (FFR), Randi Molofsky, will be the first to tell you that FFR’s long-time PR Director, Arianna Pristina, is indispensable to her business. Arianna’s warmth and humor are a joy to be around, and she is one of the most responsive, attentive and detail-oriented PR pros in the biz, ensuring that each brand on the FFR client roster is top of editors’ minds. In keeping with her generous nature, Ari has shared with us the type of dream trip that most people would rather keep all for themselves!

“One of my favorite experiences was visiting Iceland in 2020. From the food to the culture to learning about the history behind the country- it was overall a magical adventure. 

The experience of visiting the Blue Lagoon at sunrise (which is around 10am in February), walking alongside the icy Gullfoss Waterfall, driving over glaciers and riding ATVs around the spots where Game Of Thrones episodes were filmed- was so unique and memorable. 

The best part was browsing the boutique jewelry stores in the main town and learning about new designers- a favorite activity of mine when visiting a new place. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience I still talk about to this day and one I won’t soon forget! It stays on the top of my holiday wish list of places to re-visit- there’s so much more to see!”

Liza Urla, GEMOLOGUE:

Considered one of the first global influencers in the fine jewelry space, Liza Urla from GEMOLOGUE began her career at GIA in 2009. She has since brought her passion for the artform into the digital world, masterfully combining her love for jewelry with the joys of motherhood. With an eye for creativity and aesthetics, she curates exquisite pieces for her audience and private clients, celebrating the artistry of craftsmanship and the beauty of innovation in the jewelry landscape. Perennially chic, with a fearless approach to personal style, Liza can’t help but turn heads wherever she goes. Yet beneath that somewhat intimidating exterior is a real “woman’s woman” who is always going above and beyond to support other women and promote their success. This sentiment is evident in her submission to our Aspirational Advent Calendar. 

“One of my favorite books is Women’s Circle: How to Gather with Meaning, Intention, and Purpose by Anoushka Florence. This book resonates with me deeply as it delves into the art of gathering women in intentional circles. Anoushka’s heartfelt insights and practical advice inspire me to create meaningful connections and foster a sense of community. It’s not just about organizing an event; it’s about building relationships and sharing experiences that empower and uplift one another. Each time I revisit the pages, I’m reminded of the magic that unfolds when we come together, and it continually motivates me to cultivate those connections in my own life.”

Virna Chakardemian, YEPREM:

Representing the second generation of the family business, Creative Director of YEPREM, Virna Chakardemian, has maintained the brand’s legacy of innovative design and exceptional craftsmanship. Consistently creating pieces that feel other-worldly, with high-carat diamonds that weave around ears, slither over hands or snake up fingers, it should come as no surprise that Virna’s favorite piece of art is from the most prominent surrealist artist of the 20^th century.

Salvador Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory,” currently held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, showcases clocks that appear to melt over a harsh dreamscape. Virna explains her attraction to the painting, “By presenting time as malleable and dreamlike, Dalí encourages us to rethink how we experience life and memory.”

Rosario Navia:

With a background in fashion, Argentina-born, NYC-based designer Rosario Navia’s 18k gold and diamond collection beautifully, and stylishly, re-interprets classic, diamond staples. Just like her jewelry, her favorite piece of art defies expected norms of the artform.

“I was lucky enough to grow up with parents who value the arts, including architecture and design, and who exposed me to them at a young age,” Rosario explains. “Because of my upbringing, I am forever inspired in my designs by New York City’s architecture. I chose to share a favorite NYC building of mine as my favorite piece of art. NYC’s 8 Spruce Street (previously known as the Beekman Tower) was designed by prominent architect Frank Gehry. Located in lower Manhattan, 8 Spruce Street was the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere at the time of its opening in February of 2011.”

Finding correlations between this architectural wonder and her jewelry, Rosario goes on to say, “What draws me to this building is the juxtaposition of the straight lines of the towers versus the curvature of the facade. If you look at my fine jewelry collection, I play with the same principles that Frank Gehry used when designing this building. My line is full of organic shapes that interact with the rigidity and sharpness of the diamonds. Another favorite part of this building is the way the sun hits it. The undulating stainless steel façade sparkles in the sun just like a diamond would. I can always count on it being in the skyline when I need a little source of inspiration!”

Joel Cheatwood, The Gems Project:

Co-Founder (along with Elizabeth “Beth Anne” Bonanno) of The Gems Project, Joel Cheatwood delights in presenting the company’s extensive roster of retail partners with the exquisite work of their talented clients. This dedication, coupled with Joel’s inexhaustible work ethic, means that he’s on the road more often than he’s home, yet he still opted to submit a recent, far flung adventure with close friends to our Aspirational Advent Calendar.

“In the summer of ’23, I had the chance to travel to Scotland with two of my best friends, Francois Braine-Bonnaire and Andres Carlos,” Joel tells us. “While I travel extensively for work, it’s also my favorite hobby-especially when I get to share the experience of a new place or culture with friends and loved ones. This particular trip is a standout for several reasons. Not only was the scenery incredible, the trip was also an adventure! Navigating through the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye was a memorable experience to say the least. I may or may not have made a navigational error that almost cost us a full day of travel! (OK, I totally did!) But it turned out to be a really fun, and very unexpected experience for us.”

Explaining how a playful trip differs from work travel, he says, “I’m very grateful for this community and the work I’m privileged to do. Our clients are exceptional designers, and our retail partners are the best in the business. But being able to decompress and gain inspiration from travel and new experiences is one of my favorite things to do and I’m so fortunate to have amazing people in my life that share my love of travel. Here’s to new adventures!”

Melissa Chen, Lunar Rain:

As we’ve written here previously, Melissa Chen’s background in painting and fine art is evident throughout her fine jewelry collection, Lunar Rain. With impeccable attention paid to the smallest details, she brings her vivid imagination to life in impeccably crafted designs that inspire a sense of joy and whimsy. While dedicated to the continued expansion of her jewelry collection, Melissa continues to experiment with other artforms, and she’s taking the opportunity to submit to our Aspirational Advent Calendar to highlight one of her most recent artistic accomplishments.

“My current favourite piece of art is our hand-painted Manta Ray dish. I spent the past year learning how to paint porcelain using the underglaze painting technique, and it’s been a real learning experience with lots of trial and error,” Melissa tells us. “I think this Manta Ray dish is a good representation of our new porcelain art collection. We’ve been working on creating usable porcelain art to complement our naturalistic jewelry designs. The slower nature of creating ceramics has taught us to be more patient and to enjoy the artistic process.”

Archana Thani, Curator, Consultant, Journalist:

Archana Thani has a spectacular eye for design. A long time curator, consultant and journalist in the fine jewelry and timepiece space, her swoon-worthy Instagram feed showcases both her covetable aesthetic sensibility, and her profound knowledge of jewelry history, and was one of the (many) reasons we asked her to be a judge for our 2024 COUTURE Design Awards. Archana’s submission to this year’s Aspirational Advent Calendar is also illustrative of her profound love for the artform; she’s selected an item that is as revered for its beauty as it is for the iconic status of the artist who created it.

“I’ve chosen a pair of chalcedony and diamond ear clips by Suzanne Belperron,” Archana explains. “These earrings are the perfect mix of beauty, history, and meaning. First, they’re just stunning. The soft, glowing chalcedony paired with the sparkle of diamonds feels so balanced, timeless, yet contemporary, bold yet soft. Belperron had this incredible way of taking unexpected materials and making them look effortlessly elegant, and these earrings are a perfect example of that.

“But it’s not just about how they look. Owning a piece by Suzanne Belperron feels like owning a little piece of jewelry history. She was such a trailblazer, breaking away from the trends of her time and redefining what jewelry could be. And her philosophy—“My style is my signature”—is something I love. She didn’t need a stamp or a logo; her work was so distinctive it spoke for itself. That confidence and creativity are so inspiring.

“For me, these ear clips are more than just a beautiful accessory. They’re a connection to Belperron’s legacy, a reminder of how much she shaped the jewelry world and continues to influence designers today. That’s what makes them so special to me. Plus, they’re the kind of piece you could wear forever and never get tired of!”

Michael Shulman, Writer: 

Writer, jewelry aficionado and all around man-about-town, Michael Shulman, is one of the larger-than-life personalities that make COUTURE feel so festive. His love for the artform is massive, and his knowledge of gemstones, jewelry history, contemporary jewelry and the designers who make it never ceases to amaze us. A proud Las Vegan, Michael is a vibrant reminder that Sin City is alive and well all the days of the year, and not just during our annual trip to the desert. He has often given me grief personally for identifying my more adventuresome footwear as “Vegas Shoes,” reminding me that in Vegas, they’re just called shoes. It is by those same standards that we can view Michael’s submission to our Aspirational Advent Calendar, and the fact that the piece he let get away was minimized in its brilliance is yet another reminder that Michael’s “every day” is somebody else’s “too hot to handle.”

“My favorite estate jewel is one I no longer possess,” Michael told us. “You see, in the early aughts, I acquired an absurdly long rope of silver Tahitian pearls—actually an opera-length strand with a matinée-length extender—featuring two sets of blackened 18K gold clasps pavéd with cognac diamonds, with this stunning strand of lustrous silver Tahitian pearls that alternated between 15″-17” baroques and 11” rounds running betwixt them.  After featuring it regularly in my repertoire for about fifteen years, I traded in that necklace for some new (to me) bejeweled estate goodness, learning later that it had been sold as four smaller necklaces. Here Tahiti, gone tomorrow, I suppose.  [Alexa, play “Circle of Life” by Elton John…]”

Lin Ruiyin and Afzal Imram, State Property:

As we’re highlighting in our ongoing “Family Affair” series, we are continually awed by the number of family businesses that exist within our community. The dynamic duo behind State Property is one such endeavor. Trained at the prestigious Central St Martins in London, jeweler Lin Ruiyin works alongside her husband, Afzal Imram, who trained in Industrial Design at the National University of Singapore, in the creation of the distinctive State Property collection. With multiple awards and accolades behind each of their names, their work gracefully weaves themes of science, art and nature into wearable works of art. The meticulousness of their craftsmanship illustrates their commitment to creating heirloom quality work, and their submission to our Aspirational Advent Calendar reveals that they’re equally invested in passing down a sense of curiosity and joy of discovery to the next generation.

“For our submission, we’d like to share a current favorite for our night-time book readings,” Afzal tells us. “It’s one that my wife, Ruiyin and I read with our son, Mika, every evening, and it’s brought us a delightful mix of fun and unexpected facts. Did you know, for example, that human feet produce about a cup of sweat per day thanks to 250,000 sweat glands per foot? Mika’s fascination with these quirky details has sparked countless laughs and conversations, as you might imagine, and it reminds us of the joy in exploring the world through a child’s eyes. This book has not only enlightened the family but also inspires in our son the same spirit of curiosity and discovery that shapes our work as designers.”

Zoe Chicco:

For over 20 years, designer Zoe Chicco has been creating infinitely wearable pieces that cater to a diverse range of stylishly chic women. And her wide appeal is no accident. Zoe often cites other women as muses, elevating their visibility among her loyal following while also gaining inspiration from their unique points-of-view and designing collections that are created in their honor. In keeping with her dedication to long-lasting friendships and totally on brand of brining joy to others, Zoe’s submission to our Aspirational Advent Calendar is the stuff friendship dreams are made of.

“I celebrated a milestone birthday this year and decided that I wanted to celebrate with an experience that would inspire and stay with me for many years to come,” Zoe explains. “I invited 16 of my nearest and dearest friends with me to Tuscany to soak up the Italian culture, landscape, food and of course wine. For me, travel is my biggest inspiration. Not only am I inspired by the beauty, colors and patterns that I see, but I also find that when I am away from the hustle and bustle of my daily life, I am able to relax and quiet my mind which is when creativity often comes to me. It also helped that the women that joined me on the trip have all served as muses who have inspired many pieces over the course of our years of friendship. It was a truly magical experience that I will remember for a lifetime.”

Carol Kauffmann:

Influences of Brazilian designer Carol Kauffmann’s native country can be seen throughout her body of work. Her collections feature the vivid, colorful gemstones that are one of Brazil’s most celebrated natural resources, and the vibrancy infused in her designs showcases the passion she has for the artform. Carol is also deeply influenced by travel, contemporary art, history and modern technology, so it comes as no surprise that her submission to our Aspirational Advent Calendar highlights a fellow contemporary artist of another medium whose work has inspired Carol’s next collection.

“A couple of months ago, I visited an incredible exhibition by Brazilian-Italian artist Erica Verzutti in Milan. I was deeply impressed and inspired by her organic, prehistoric shapes. After this exhibition, I started working on the new Rocks Collection, which will be launched in 2025. This collection draws inspiration from the organic forms of rocks, the timeless shine of aged gold, and the beautiful shades of our Brazilian gems.”

Nigora Tokhtabayeva, TABAYER:

Nigora Tokhtabayeva, Creative Director of Tabayer, has been designing “casual luxury” jewelry since before it was defined as a covetable aesthetic. She believes in jewelrys’ ability to transcend mere ornamentation and become spiritually powerful, serving as a conduit between the internal and external worlds. The authenticity in her intention is evident in her choice of the materials with which she works, in her high ethical standards and in her stalwart commitment to embodying integrity in all aspects of her work, and her life. In submitting her favorite charity, Nigora showcases her consistency of character while also closing out our Aspirational Advent Calendar with a meaningful reminder.

“I deeply admire the mission of One Love Community Fridge,” Nigora explains “This grassroots initiative combats food insecurity by providing accessible, free food through community fridges, fostering unity and care within neighborhoods. Their work is about more than nourishment—it’s about dignity, mutual support, and community resilience. We were honored to participate in their 2024 Health Forum, which focused on promoting wellness and accessibility for all. Engaging with their passionate team and community reinforced my belief in the importance of collective action and care.”